Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/246

 fitte of his tribe. He had not accompanied the rest when they set out on the invitation of the king. His name was Spandarat, the son o£ Arshavir, and brother of Nerseh. He was married* to a descendant of the Arsacid^, and at the period of the bloody massacre of his race, was residing at Hashtens with his family. When he heard of this dreadful event, he took his wife and two sons, Shavarsh and Gazavon, with the rest of his family, and fled into Greece. The holy Khad» then the officiating patriarch,, admonished Arsaces for his cruelty, which irritating the king, he ordered him to be imme« diately stoned. On the agents of the king pro- ceeding to execute this order, the brothers of Khad's daughter s husband, who were present, interfered and prevented them. These relations of Khad were men of great bodily strength, of the race of the Apahunians. On the creatures of Arsaces again attempting to execute the cruel mandate they had received, Khad's friends attacked them sword in hand, mortally wounded them, and rescued the holy bishop, with whom they retired to their province. Arsaces durst not follow them thither, fearing that they might be joined by other chiefs, and thus create a dangerous rebellion. He therefore tried to take off Khad by his old method, trea* chery. He called his chief eunuch, who wa&

�� �